Semper Fidelis
by diarrhetic.pen
Summary: Set around a decade after the current manga story line.  Everybody's forever after is different.  Who can say theirs is any less than somebody else's?


_**Semper Fidelis**_

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"… And cut! That's a wrap people! Day after tomorrow, we return for…"

Ren tuned out the rest of what the director had been saying, instead turning towards his dressing room. If he missed anything important, Yashiro would be sure to catch it.

He walked briskly, smiling all the while at the people who greeted him on his way. He intended to get changed and leave the set as quickly as he could. He didn't want to be late.

In less than ten minutes, he was dressed in casual clothes and walking back the way he came from. He spied Yashiro by the entrance, poring over something written in his planner. The handsome actor made his way towards his manager, but before he got there, he was stopped by a few of his female co-stars.

"Yes, ladies?" Ren inquired politely. He was trying hard to be cordial but he could already feel his irritation creeping up.

"Uhmmm… Tsuruga-san? _We_," the blonde leader of the pack motioned to her friends with her well-manicured hand, "would be honored if… if you could join us for dinner?" The girls were all looking at him, hopeful that he would grant their request.

Ren ran his fingers through his dark hair. He was getting frustrated and needed to do something with his hands. Hopefully, he could get his annoyance across, but apparently, he accomplished nothing of the sort, judging by the blushes on the actresses' faces. He didn't appreciate being stalled when he was in such a hurry, especially by girls who thought making everything they say sound like a question was cute.

"Oh," at this he let his face fall, "what a shame. I have an important engagement to attend tonight." He tried to sound as apologetic as he could. "Maybe next time?"

He smiled disarmingly, leaving a wake of spellbound women, before continuing on his way.

Yashiro shook his head sadly. _If these girls only knew where Ren was going, they'd probably worship him even more._

He adjusted his glasses as he studied the actor approaching him. Ren Tsuruga was already in his thirties, but he barely aged since the day Yashiro first met him. But, he was sure that the handsome man had changed, and he knew what, or more specifically _who_, was the reason for it.

"Ready to go?" Ren asked his manager of fifteen odd years.

"You know I can just catch a cab if you're in such a hurry."

"Nonsense. Besides," Ren counters and Yashiro was surprised at the sincerity he saw in the other man's face, "Kyouko wouldn't like it if I just left you."

No words were exchanged between the two until Ren dropped his manager off at his house. "Be careful, and," Yashiro hesitated before adding, "say hi to Kyouko-chan for me."

The only response he got was a soft smile, before the car merged back into traffic.

Ren weaved in between vehicles as he hurried to his next destination. _Please let it still be open_, he silently prayed.

But when he got there, the lights were already off and the door was shut. He'd missed it. He sat in the car for a while, unsure of what to do next. Just as he was getting ready to drive off, he heard a slight knocking on his window. He rolled the window down to reveal a fidgety teenaged girl. With a bouquet of large red roses.

Surprised, Ren just kept staring at the girl, who was now blushing furiously. "I… uh… I k-knew you'd… umm… come f-for these like always… s-so…" She'd let her sentence trail off, unable to finish her train of thought under the famous actor's intense gaze.

Ren reached out as she handed him the bouquet. He checked inside to see if the card was there. It was. Like always. Just as the girl had said.

He glanced back at the young woman and thanked her wholeheartedly, before handing her a wad of bills.

"O-oh. Oh no! No! Please," she pleaded as she pushed the hand clasping the bills back at him, "you've already paid for the roses."

"This is for your troubles," Ren argued back. "You didn't have to wait for me, but I am extremely grateful that you did." He took one of her hands, placed the money on her palm and closed his hands around hers. "Please accept it."

Hearing the sincere earnestness in his voice, the girl could only nod mutely.

Ren smiled up at her, before saying softly, "You're a lifesaver."

The young woman turned scarlet, her hands worrying the edge of her pink cardigan. "I just… I thought there was no way you'd forget to pick the flowers up today."

"Yeah. You're right," the actor remarked as he ran an index finger along the crimson petals. "There's no way I'd forget."

He thanked her again before he finally drove off, the girl still standing by the side of the road. She thought back to the card the handsome man always requested to be put in the bouquet. She'd googled it a while back and she had been surprised by what it meant. _Kyouko-sama was a really lucky woman._

It was getting quite late in the afternoon, and Ren still had one stop to make. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too long as he had to get to Kyouko before dark.

As he neared the Daruma-ya, he made a quick mental calculation. If he didn't get caught in traffic, he'd make it with plenty of time to spare.

He parked his car out front, and quickly got out, forgoing his standard cap and dark glasses. The taisho had long made sure that he and Kyouko were never to be bothered when inside the restaurant.

As he stepped inside, he was showered by greetings from regular patrons and curious gazes from newcomers. The okami-san immediately approached him with a warm welcoming smile, and behind her, he could see her husband keeping people at bay with a harsh glare.

As she neared, the joy on her face was immediately replaced by that of concern.

"Oh, you dear child!" the homely woman exclaimed as she placed her palms on either side of his face. "You look like you've lost weight again! Have you been working too hard?"

"No, not at all, Ma'am. It's for a role I'm playing," Ren explained to ease some of the worry off the kind lady's face. She let out a long sigh, her eyes searching his for any signs of untruth. Finding none, she gave him a smile, though it was a bit strained, with her warm hands still not having left his face.

"Do you think," she asked as she stroked his cheeks affectionately, "Kyouko is fine with that?"

"I'm sure she understands." Noting the conviction in the actor's voice, the okami-san smiled approvingly. The smile faltered as she remembered something.

"It's been a while since you and Kyouko last ate here, hasn't it?" The smile she gave him then seemed a bit sad. "He," the woman turned and Ren followed her gaze to the gruff old man busily serving customers, "misses her terribly even though he doesn't admit it."

Ren didn't know how to respond to what the okami-san just shared. It hadn't been at the least bit surprising, but having to actually hear it out loud just added a lot more gravity to the fact.

The taisho wasn't alone. Ren missed spending time with the woman he loved. Early in their relationship, they had agreed that they should always have time for each other, and over the years, it became customary for them to have dinner together at the Daruma-ya on the first night of each month. That way, they could talk about their plans for the following weeks, and just basically have a sense of normalcy in their very hectic lives. But now, that was just simply impossible.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Ren didn't know what about, and how, he would talk to the other man, but if he could help, he was sure not going to deny the kind couple that served as Kyouko's surrogate parents.

The okami-san let out a chuckle before moving her head from side to side. "That wouldn't be necessary. We could always visit our girl. Besides," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "I don't think he's fully forgiven you for taking her away."

As if on cue, her husband suddenly materialized beside her, carrying two paper bags. He handed both to Ren before admonishing, "I've included that child's favorites, so make sure both your dinners are still warm when you get there."

Ren mumbled his thanks and the taisho merely grunted in reply. The younger man briefly considered offering to pay, but ultimately decided against it when he remembered how the gruff old man seemed to take offense the last time he did.

"You shouldn't keep her waiting." The actor looked at the taisho in surprise. His words had seemed almost… tender. "Tell her we'll visit soon," his wife added with a smile.

Ren thanked both of them again, and with a final advice from the okami-san to be careful when driving, he was ushered out of the Daruma-ya's door.

In minutes, he was back on the road, grateful for the lack of heavy traffic. He stopped at a red light and he took the time to look into the paper bags he got earlier. They had felt heavy so he was curious as to what had been put in them.

Ren suppressed a laugh as he saw what was inside. There was enough in the bags to feed five people. At least five who had his appetite.

Before long he was driving up a quiet road just outside the city, and he found himself speeding up, like a runner sprinting the last few yards to the finish line.

Moments later, he stopped in front of large wrought-iron gates and allowed the caretaker to open them for him. Ren nodded his thanks as his car passed by the wrinkly old man, who waved back at the young man who always showed up like clockwork every month.

The handsome actor drove carefully along the tree-lined path until he arrived at a familiar area. He parked the car beneath a large aging tree and grabbed a picnic blanket from the backseat. He flung it over one arm, with the bouquet of roses cradled in the other, and took the dinner bags before getting out.

He stepped off the path and walked over the grass that barely reached his ankles.

He reveled in the stillness around him. This place reminded him of where he and Kyouko first met as children. Smiling at the memory, he only just realized then that he'd arrived at his destination.

"Did you wait long?" Ren whispered softly.

He brushed his fingers against the stone in front of him, not really expecting an answer to his question. He traced the name engraved on it, and he felt his heart break all over again.

_Kyouko Hizuri._

He withdrew his hand and laid the roses carefully at the foot of the angel marking his beloved's grave, before unfurling the blanket from his arm.

He sat down, cross-legged, and proceeded to methodically lay out the contents of the paper bags. He'd done this so many times in the past couple of years that he'd actually thought things might suddenly get easier for him someday. So far, it hasn't.

He'd decided to continue their monthly dinner dates even after she'd passed away to make up for the one wedding vow that he refused to keep. _Till death do us part._ He couldn't allow himself to let go. Couldn't let the two of them be kept apart. Not during their lives, and certainly not even upon death.

He looked at the dinner he'd set on the blanket, and satisfied with the presentation, he reached into his back pocket for his wallet. He opened it and inside was a picture of Kyouko on their wedding day. Radiant and full of life.

Ren caressed the photo longingly, before setting it to stand beside the bouquet of large tea roses that she'd loved when she was alive.

He glanced at the ornate tombstone that had been commissioned by President Takerada. Gold and silver vines decorated the edge of the marble, with a single life-sized angel standing beside it. It was tasteful and quite understated by the President's standards. Kyouko would have been proud.

But for the actor, the real gem of it had been the words etched on the stone. It had been a labor of love for those who had cared for her. A fitting send-off for someone who had brought so much light and love to everyone around her.

_Friend_. _Loving sister_. _Irreplaceable daughter._ _Eternal muse._ _Immortal butterfly._

_Wife and soulmate._

"Mistress of my heart," he added softly.

"You came, Uncle."

Ren turned around and smiled at the newcomer, not bothered by the sudden intrusion into his musings. He pushed a bowl of the now-cooling soup towards the child who had been eyeing the bouquet of roses curiously. She squatted down and accepted the proffered food nonetheless, but the actor still saw the question lingering behind her eyes.

He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. She reminded him of Kyouko when she was the girl's age, which was why he couldn't help but accommodate her.

"What is it?" he asked finally. The child immediately bowed her head, as though caught doing something she shouldn't, her pigtails swaying violently from the sudden movement. No doubt her grandfather, the caretaker of the grounds, had ordered her not to pester him.

She'd been eyeing his wife's roses, so Ren got up and took the bouquet to show the young girl. He held them in front of her, and said, "They're very pretty, aren't they? Do you want to touch them?"

The child shook her head vigorously, which got the actor slightly confused. _What did she want then?_

As if she heard his thoughts, the little girl raised her head and pointed to something within the bouquet. "The golden card…" _Ah, so that was what she wanted to ask about._

"What does it say? Is it in English?"

"No," he answered patiently, "it's Latin. It reads as _Semper fidelis_."

"What does it mean?" The girl crouched over the bouquet, the knowledge that it was in some unknown language had apparently peaked her interest.

Ren fingered the similarly engraved band on his ring finger, before gently answering.

"Always faithful."

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* * *

And there you have it. A Skip Beat fic inspired by an episode of NCIS._

_The part where Ren is reading the inscribed words on the tombstone was originally a lot longer but I thought it wasn't really necessary to talk about who asked to have the specific words put there. I'll just leave it to you readers to hazard a guess. _

_I also thought it would be great if I mentioned Sho having a stripped-down acoustic version of Prisoner shortly after Kyouko's death, but again, it wasn't crucial to the plot. Unfortunate but maybe I could use it in a future story. Unless, someone's already used it._

_I'm a Ren/Kyouko shipper. Granted, I killed her off, but hey, I got them married first, didn't I?_

_The rights to Skip Beat still haven't landed on my lap despite repeated prayers. So yeah, it's not mine. Yet._

_Be kind. Review._


End file.
